Known standpipes for sump tanks have a series of disadvantages which accentuate the need for an improved standpipe which can provide better service, is more durable and can be manufactured at lower cost.
For example, among the disadvantages of known standpipes are the following:
(1) Bothersome noises when water circulates through the standpipe, even more evident in systems employing hydropneumatic pressures.
(2) Between the surfaces of the inner walls of the valve or standpipe cylinder and outer wall of the plunger there is necessarily a free space through which water passes upward when the standpipe is in open position, resulting in the spattering of this water against the tank lid and its subsequent spillage to the exterior, with the consequential nuisance of a wet floor in the lavatory or restroom where the standpipe is installed. With the passage of time this free space becomes larger owing to normal wear of the parts, and the spillage logically increases.
(3) Some known standpipes employ devices known as stoppers to avoid the problem of (2) above, but while these stoppers prevent water spillage outside the tank, they hinder the proper function of the apparatus.
(4) Inasmuch as all the standpipes thus far known have to be placed above the level of water in the tank, their cost of manufacture is higher because longer support and waste-discharge pieces are required.
A novel and original standpipe for toilet sump tanks has now been created and is the basis of the present invention; it has the following advantages, among others:
The standpipe has very few parts and its construction is extremely simple, wear of the parts thus being minimal.
Its complete connection by means of shafts and bearings and the absence of special rubber gaskets and anti-spatter stoppers permits the force produced by the float to be employed to the maximum, so that even at the highest water pressures (for example, in hydropneumatic systems) operation is efficient and silent, providing rapid cutoff of the water flow and long duration.
In the manufacture of the standpipe, owing to its peculiar design, there is absolutely no casting of the component parts, but rather automatic machine-tools are used to make the principal parts by machining solid or drilled metal bars.
Its size, reduced to the minimum, permits manufacture at an economic price, even when employing materials of the best quality for longer duration and efficient operation.
The standpoint of this invention is designed to operate beneath water level, which means lower manufacturing cost and more efficient operation, providing a service completely free of spattering inasmuch as the standpipe is entirely and permanently submerged.
The float rod is of a new design and can also be adjusted in a horizontal direction; there are no interposing parts between the rod and the standpipe and it is impossible to impede perfect function of the waste discharge valve.
In addition, the standpipe of this invention is provided with multiple discharger-silencer devices which permit optimum performance and at the same time maximum silence by greatly reducing bothersome noises.